Sludge-collecting device



June 18, 1929.. I W L DOLIER C 1,717,764

SLUDGE COLLECTING DEVICE Filed Aug. l2, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l @AVM A TTORNEYJ"l June 18, 1929. 1 DQLTIER Y 1,717,764

SLUDGE COLLECTING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. l2,y 1925 equipped with my invention;

Patented June 18,".1929..

wiLLiAiii L. immun, 'or Pi'i'iLADELPHiA,

ENr ortica. 1

rENNsYLvANIA, Assieivon, BY Masiva As- SIGNMENTS, T0 H. GRAY AND-JOHN SQHVAI-F; BOTH 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK, 'AND W. G. IEUCHEN, OF N OR'IH TONAWANDA, NEEYOBK. I A

SLUDGE-COLLECTING DEVICE.4

Application led August 12, 1925. Serial Not 49,682.

My invention relates to apparatus particu-v larly suitable for collecting the sludge from the bottom of settling'tanks, suchas are used in the treatment of sewage and the like, and will be better understood from the following descriptiontakcn in connection with vthe accompanying drawings forming i a part thereof, and. in which Figflis a plan view of a circularl tank Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 E

.F ig. 3 -isa partial vertical sect-ion on a larger scale than Fig. 2 with the parts con-- densed; t

' Fig. 4 is a detail showing the construction of the lowerend of the main. support'y' Fig. 5 is a detail showing the means 4for adjusting the position of the scraper relative to the bottom ofthe tank; i

Fig. 6 is a section on line VI-VI of Fig. 3 pif the means for 'adjustingthe scraper; Fig, 7= is a seetion on .line VII--VII of Fig. 3.

Like reference characters .indicate like parts throughoutthe drawings.

In sewage tanks'it. is desirable to remove the thickened sludge which collects onlther bottom ofsettling tanks so'tliat suoli thickened sludge may be treated thereafter and the' arrangement which I have illustrated accomplishes this purpose effectively.

. In the drawings I have illustrated a circular tank. The tank itself may be of any desirable construction, such as concrete. The, tank is `provided vwith the usual inlet and outlet openings by which the 1 1qu1d`to be settled may enter the tank and from which the more or less clarified liquid may leave the tank. Mounted centrally of the tank 1s Tthe main' support 1, which is hollow and in which is suitably placed a suction pump 2.

' The suppoi't 1 is provided at the bottom with la bearing. 3 which rests upon a support 4:v securely fastened to the bottom of the tank.

- In this instance the support is mounted over the inlet opening 5 through which the liquid to be treated is introduced into the tank. A plurality of supporting members 6 'of the general 'shape shown in Fig.' 7 extends across the opening 5 and supports the bearf in g member which. cooperates'with the bearingmember 3 on the vertical s'upportl.'` As member l3 and 'carried will be seen from Fig. 3, the liquidv entering through the opening 5 passes into the bottom of the tank` with a whirling motion,I as shown by the arrows. The whirling, as shown, takes place iii the the lwhirling set up by rotation of the scraper and suction nozzle, and the frame moving therewith. f

Mounted immediately above the bearing by the support 1, is a scraper (support 7. This support is constructed of the usual channel irons and its size vand general construction will'depend upon the 'size of the -tank in which it is to be used.

sis

same direction as Carried at the bottom of the support 7 is a'V i scraper 8 which takes theY form of a helix, as shown in Fig. -1. In s own there are four supports for the scraper, numbered 7, 9, 10 andl ll. These supports are'mOuntediipOn the rings 12 and 13, which in turn are carried by the' suppbrt the embodiment l and are loosely fitted around the support 1 so that they may bemoved up or down to adjust 'the position of the scraper relativetothe bottom of the tank by means which will be later described. L

v The suction pump 2 is carried inside the support l, as shown in Fig.l 3, and a suction chamber 14 opens in to the tank through the member 15 near thebottom of the tank and also near 4the base of thev support 1. Mountedon the bearing-Spf the support l l is a disk-shaped .member -16 through which the suction member 15 extends. -Tlie mem? ber orpartition 16, as .will be seen by reference to Fig, 3, is near the bottom of the`l suction pump 2. The pipe 18. dischargesl "finto a gutterelgextending around the top edge ofthe tank. This bridge alsocarries `a platform 2O provided with1 guard rails 21.' The support 14 is held in vertical position by tie-rods 22, as shown 4in Fig. 1, the rods being anchored at one end in 'the side wall'of thetank and-at the other end to-the support l. i

The motor 23 which mounted on the top port 1, drivesa worm 25 which in turn drives lthe worm gear 2G to rotate the support. 1

and the parts carried thereby to cause, among other things, the scraper to deliver the sludge to the suction device 15. The operators house 27 is also carrierhby'the support 1 and-houses and protects the operating mechanism above described.

The means for adjusting the position of the scraper are shown in Fig. 5 and-consiste of a rod 28 having one end secured to a bracket 29 kcarried by the support 1. The lower end of the rod 28 is screw-threaded and is screvsf'ed'into a nut BOa-ttached io the rings 12 and 13,'which are attached to the supports 7 9, 10 and 11 of the scraper. A hand Wheel 31 mounted on the upper end of the rod 28 when operated acts to move the scraper up or down, depending upon the direction of its rotation.

In operation the material to be (treated is introduced into the tank through the opening in the bottom thereof and after standing therequired time to produce the desired amount of settling the motor 24 is started as well as the motor 23 whereupon the suction pump 2 creates suction in the inlet nozzle 15 and ,removes the sludge from' the chamber between the bottom of the tank and the plate 16. vAt the same time the support 1 isy caused to rotate slowly, carrying with it the nozzle 15, partition 16 and scraper 8, whereupon the scraper acts to move the sludge which has settled on the bottom of the tank toward the suction nozzle-15, by which the same is progressively removed from different ,parts of the zone surrounding the center of thev tank and adjacent thereto and discharged through the pipe 18 to the gutter T19. The liquid which has been more or less clarified by the treatment overflows into the gutter 32 and is discharged at 33.l This operation continues at a speed dependent upon the nature of the material beine treated.

Changes may be made in the details ot construction and in the arrangement of the parts above'described within certain limits without departing, from the spirit of my invention.

I claimz' l. In a device ofthe character described, a tank, a suction device having an inlet near the center of the bottom of the tank 'but spaced therefrom, meansV for moving said inlet about said center, and means tor moving sludgealong the bottom of the tank toward said inlet.

2. In a device of the character described, a tank, a rotatable suction device near the center of the bottom of thel tank, and helical means for moving lsludge along the bottom offthe tank' toward ,said suction device.

3. In a device of the character described,l

a tank, a 'suction device near the center of the bottom of the tank, a rotatable support for said suction device, a scraper mounted on said support and actingtofmove sludge along the bottom of the tank toward said suction device and means for localizing the effect of said suction device. A

4. In a device of the character described, a tank, a suction device near the center of the bottom of the tank, a rotatable shaft supporting said suction device, a scraper slidably mounted on said support and acting to move sludge along the bottom of the tank toward said suction device, means for localizing the effect of said suction device, and means for adjusting the scraper relative to the bottom of the tank. l

5. In a device of the character described` a tank, a suction device near the center of the. bottom of the tank, a rotatable support for said suction device resting on the center of said bottom. a. scraper slidablv mounted on said support to rotate therewith and acting to move sludge along the bottom of the tank toward said suction device, means for localizing the effect of said vsuction device, andmeans for discharging the' sludge to the exterior of the tank.

6. In a -device of the character described, a tank, a suction device near the center of the bottom of the tank, a rotatable support for said suction device resting on the bottom of said tank `and stayed to the sides of the tank, a scraper mounted on said support and acting to move sludge alongthe bottom of the tank toward said suction device, means for localizing the effect of` said suction device, and means for rotating the scraper support. v

.7. In a device of the character described, a tank, a suctiondevicef-near the centerof the bottom ot' the tank, a rotatable support for said suctiondevice, a scraper mounted on said vsupport and acting to move sludge along the bottom of the tank toward said suction device, xreans for localizing the effeet of said suction device, `means carried by the support for discharging thesludge tothe exterior of the tank and means for rotating the support, scraper and discharge means.

8. In .a device of the character described, a circular sludge'tank, a support mounted centrally of said tank with its base resting on the bottom, a suction device mounted on said support and opening into the tank near the base of said support butv spaced lthere-4 from, a scraper mounted on said support, means for rotating the scraper to move the sludge toward the suction device and means for localizing the eect 'of-said suction device near the delivery end ofthe scraper.

In a device of the character described,

Ale

Cir

el l) with to separate the'incoming uidfrom the il. circular sludge tank, a hollow support mounted centrally on the bottom of the tank, a suction device mounted in said hollow support and opening into the tank near the bottom of the tank, a scraper mounted on said support and acting to move the' sludge toward the suction device, means localizing the 'action of `sa1d suction devlce around the delivery end of said scraper,

Vmeans for rotatingjsaid scraper and means slidably carried on lthe support for adjustinglthe scraper relative to the bottom of the tan t.

10. In a device of the claracter described, a circular sludge tank, a hollow support mounted centrally ot' the tank, a suction device mounted in said hollow support and opening into the tank near the bottom of the tank, a scraper` mounted on said support and acting to'in'ove the sludge toward the suction device, means localizing the Aaction of said suction device around the delivery end of said scraper, means adjacent the suc-.l

tion opening for delivering Huid to the tank f with a whirling motion, means for discharging the sludge from the tank and means for conducting olf the clarified liquid from` which the sludge has been taken. l

y ll. In a device of the character described, a tank, a hollow support on the'bottom of said tank, said support having a wall, ns extending inwardly from said wall and carrying a center pivot,and means rotatably mounted on said pivot and adapted to remove sludge from said tank.

12. In a device of the characterdescribed, a tank, a hollow supportv and inlet to the tankfon the bottomof said tank, said support having a wall, curvedlins extending inwardly fromlsaid wall to give the incoming yfluid a whirling motion and carryingl a I cent-cr pivot and means rotatably mounted on said pivot and adapted to remove sludge from said tank.. i A

13. In 'a'device of thecharacter described,

'a tank, a hollow support on'the bottom of said tank, said support having a wall,\ins extending"mwardly from sald wall and 'carrying a center pivot, means rotably mounted on said pivot and adapted to remove sludge from said tank, and a partition plate mounted on'said means and above the bottom of said tank to separate the incoming fluid from the outgoing sludge; 7

14. In a device of the character described, a tank, a ,hollow support in the bottom `of said tank, said support having an outer wall lextending above the bottom of said tank and forming an inlet passageway, means rotatably mounted on said support and adapted to remove sludge from said tank, a partition plate mounted on said means adjacent the top of the ,wall and closely associated thereoutgoing sludge, and suction means passing through said plate/adjacent said Wall. l

' 15,. The method ofremoving solids froff.y a .tank of liquor containing the same, -comprising the' steps of whirling the .solution slowly in horizontal planes, moving the predifferent parts oi' a zone surrounding the4 i center and adjacent thereto.

17. In a device of the character described, a tank, a pump having an inlet disposed adjacent the bottom of said tank, means for moving said inlet over the bottomjof the 4 tank, and a partition disposed above said inlet to localize the effect of said pump.

18. In a device of the character described, a tank, a pump having its inlet disposed,

adjacent the bottom of saidtank, a scraper to move sludge deposited in said tank, and means to move said inlet and scraper over the bottom of said tank with the advance of thel scraper.-

nozzle in 19. In a device of the characterdescribed, l

a tank, a pump having its inlet disposed adjacent thebottom of said tank, a scraper to move sludge deposited in said tank, and,`

means tomove said inlet and scraper over the bottom of said tank with the nozzle in advance of the scraper, said scraper being shaped to move sludge towards said inlet.

20. In a device ofthe character described,

a tank, -a pump disposed in said tank, and means to rotate said pump, said pump havingv an inlet spaced from the center of'rotation thereof.

'21. In a device of the character described,

.a tank, a pump 'disposed in said tank, means to rotatesaid pump, said pump having an inlet spaced from the center of rotation thereof, and a scraper rotating with said pump and adapted to move, sludge towards said inlet. i

22. In a device of the character described, a tank, a pump disposed in said tank, means to rotate said pump, said' pump having an inlet spaced from the center ,ofrotation thereof, and a scraper rotating with, said pump and adapted to move sludge towargls said inlet; said scraper being in helical for and said inlet being disposed adjacent the discharge end of saidhel-ix.` j

WILLIAM L. DQLIER. l' 

